Morning, Memphis! Today is Friday, Feb. 10, and the Memphis Grizzlies play the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at FedExForum. It’s HBCU night, and the first 5,000 fans will get free Grizzlies “city edition” scarves. 

On Saturday, local speakers will share stories for TEDx Memphis, and pinball wizards will battle it out at the 7th annual Tilted Hearts Pinball Tournament.

If you aren’t at home in your sweatpants (like I will be) on Sunday cheering for the former Memphis Tigers playing in the Super Bowl, you can head to Old Dominick Distillery to watch the game.

The Super Bowl won’t be the only game on though. The Memphis Tigers play Temple on Sunday morning, and the Memphis Grizzlies play the Boston Celtics on Sunday night. For more weekend fun, check out this week’s To-Do List.

If you’re not yet a subscriber, you might notice that you’ve been getting the full version of The Early Word in your inbox all week. We’re offering the full newsletters to non-subscribers through next week as our Valentine to you. If you’d like to become a subscriber, you can save 10% and get a free Daily Memphian T-shirt here.

THE NEED TO KNOW

Los Angeles Clippers guard Luke Kennard is headed to Memphis in a trade. (John Bazemore/AP)

Bye Danny, hello Luke: It’s been nice knowing you, Danny Green. In the final hours of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, the Memphis Grizzlies made a deal to send Green to the Houston Rockets and three second-round picks to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a three-team trade. In return, the Grizzlies will receive Clippers wing Luke Kennard. The Daily Memphian’s Drew Hill shares Kennard’s background and where he fits in with the Grizzlies. (Spoiler alert: He’s a pretty darn good 3-point shooter.) Our own Chris Herrington looks into how the overall Western Conference has been recalibrated after Thursday’s trades. It wouldn’t be NBA basketball without a little trash talk, and there was definitely a big jab at the Grizzlies yesterday by New Orleans guard CJ McCollum. The Daily Memphian’s Geoff Calkins addresses that (and shares news of a pro-Dillon Brooks cheer planned for tonight’s game).

Preston Hemphill

MPD requests Hemphill be decertified: The Memphis Police Department has submitted a decertification request for former SCORPION unit officer Preston Hemphill to the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission. Hemphill deployed his Taser on Tyre Nichols during the initial traffic stop on Jan. 7. He also used his own personal handcuffs on Nichols (rather than his city-issued cuffs), and he failed to tag Nichols’ cellphone as evidence. Hemphill was fired on Feb. 3.

Memphis Police officers take information at the scene of an officer-involved shooting at the Poplar-White Station Library on Feb. 2. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Speaking of use-of-force: In 2022, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was called to investigate officer-involved shootings in Shelby County nine times. That’s the highest number since 2019. The Daily Memphian’s Julia Baker breaks down use-of-force numbers and how the Shelby County District Attorney decides which incidents to report. In related news, Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy requested last year that TBI look into the death of Gershun Freeman, an inmate who died while in custody at 201 Poplar last October. Now his newly formed Justice Review Unit is looking into details from that investigation.

“The people of South Memphis face inequitable health, social and environmental conditions in comparison to many other parts of Shelby County,” Dr. Michelle Taylor, Health Department director, said in a statement. (Ziggy Mack/Special to The Daily Memphian file)

Health Dept. can’t stop EtO emissions: The Shelby County Health Department says it doesn’t have the authority to shut down Sterilization Services of Tennessee, a South Memphis company that emits cancer-causing ethylene oxide. A recent report found that EtO contributes to an estimated 82% of cancer cases in South Memphis’ Mallory Heights neighborhood. Earlier this week, The Southern Environmental Law Center and Memphis Community Against Pollution sent a joint petition to the health department urging it to exercise emergency powers and force the company to reduce EtO emissions, but the department can’t take action without stricter federal regulations. 

QUOTED

“I don’t know if they will push for Chattanooga over us ... but I will tell you we could definitely use a Memphis-Nashville Amtrak route.”

— Kevin Kane, Memphis Tourism president and CEO
It would take a push from the Tennessee Department of Transportation to bring about a new Amtrak line linking Memphis to Nashville. TDOT is currently conducting a statewide study on the potential for passenger rail service linking the major cities in each of the state’s grand divisions.

THE NICE TO KNOW

Brittany and Ed Cabigao of SOB Hospitality Group have purchased The Liquor Store on Broad Avenue from Luis and Lisa Toro. (Courtesy DCA)

SOB buys Liquor Store: Ed and Brittany Cabigao, owners of SOB Hospitality Group, have purchased Broad Avenue breakfast diner The Liquor Store from original owners Lisa and Luis Toro. But don’t worry, Liquor Store fans, your biscuit beignets aren’t going anywhere. The concept, name and menu will remain the same. The Cabigaos do have plans for changes though, including new hours and an expanded patio.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell ran during a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 29 in Philadelphia. (Matt Rourke/AP)

Tigers in the Big Game: Two former Memphis Tigers are heading to the Super Bowl this Sunday. Kenneth Gainwell and Jake Elliott both play for the Philadelphia Eagles. Elliot has played in the Big Game before, but this will be Gainwell’s Super Bowl debut. The Daily Memphian’s Frank Bonner II caught up with Curtis Gainwell Sr. (Kenneth’s dad), who shared that his son was an Eagles fan long before he was drafted. “[It’s] a very emotional time because we are so proud of our son. For him to get on the big stage is a dream come true for him,” said Gainwell Sr.

TikTok ban trending: It seems that a DeSoto County government employee TikTok dance-off is not coming any time soon. Or, at least, employees will have to use their personal devices for that. This week, the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution banning the social media app on all county phones, tablets and computers. The move follows a similar ban issued last month for Mississippi state government workers. At least 25 states have banned TikTok over national security concerns.

Lamb korma and naan at Bombay House. (Josh Carlucci/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Deal for two: Daily Memphian guest writer Joshua Carlucci got a hankering for Indian food one day, so he stopped into Bombay House on Germantown Parkway, where he settled on the lamb korma, garlic naan, vegetable samosas, a chai tea and a large beer. For one person, that meal exceeded a $10 deal, but Carlucci’s eyes were bigger than his stomach, as my me-maw likes to say. So he ended up with enough food for two. To make this a $10 deal, just bring a friend, don’t order a beer and split the bill down the middle. 

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

The Memphis Grizzlies are teaming up with local fashion designers on a new pilot program to create limited-edition Grizz gear. At tonight’s game at FedExForum, Unapologetic Garments will be selling its collection, which includes a “Lettermane” jacket (clever!). Check out the Unapologetic designs here. 

Free scarves and an exclusive sale? Now I wish I had tickets to tonight’s game! Oh, well. I’ll be in those sweatpants, watching from home. Have a great weekend!

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